ONÆlian his Various History, Translated
into English by MrThomas Stanley, the hopeful and onely Son of my dearest Friend Thomas Stanley of Cumberlow, Esquire.

ÆLIAN, as if affecting to be known
To others in a Language not his own,
This Curious Piece thought fit at first t' expreß,
Though native Roman, in a Grecian dreß.
You, kind to him and us, what lay conceal'd
In a learn'd Tongue, have in our own reveal'd ;
And taught our generous Youth by this Essay,
T' improve those hours they vainly cast away.
Your blooming years forth early Vertues shoot,
And ere we Leaves expected, shew us Fruit ;
Such, and so various, as must needs invite
The dull, and please the curious appetite.
Not to know what was done ere we were born,
Is to live Children still ; the too-just scorn
Of many an aged head : This slothful crime
Your industry refells ; looks back on Time,
And shews as present in old Ælian's Glaß
What-ere of rarest note long since did paß ;
And that transmitted in a style and phrase
As pleasing as the * Tempe it displaies.
Goe on (dear Sir,) goe on, and nobly trace
(Iülus like) though with unequal pace,
Your learned Father's steps, who does engage
By so much Worth this too ungrateful age :
And this it still your best concern you shou'd
Be like him in Variety of Good.

Edw. Sherburne.

Notes

Notes in Stanley's edition are marked by glyphs (e.g., *); other notes are numbered.